Invasive Golden Mussel Limnoperna Fortunei Research Articles

Acute Exposure to Two Biocides Causes Morphological and Molecular Changes in the Gill Ciliary Epithelium of the Invasive Golden Mussel Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857).

Limnoperna fortunei, the golden mussel, is a bivalve mollusk considered an invader in South America. This species is responsible for ecological and economic damages due to its voluminous fouling capability. Chemical biocides such as MXD-100™ and sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) are often used to control L. fortunei infestations in hydraulic systems. Thus, we proposed to investigate the effects of different periods (24, 48 and 72 h) of exposure to MXD-100™ (0.56 mg L-1) and NaDCC (1.5 mg L-1) on the gills of L. fortunei through morphological and molecular analyses. NaDCC promoted progressive morphological changes during the analyzed periods and only an upregulation of SOD and HSP70 expression during the first 24 h of exposure. MXD-100™ led to severe morphological changes from the first period of exposure, in addition to an upregulation of SOD, CAT, HSP70 and CYP expression during the first 24 h. In contrast, MXD-100™ led to a downregulation of CAT transcription between 24 and 48 h. In static conditions, NaDCC causes lethal damage after 72 h of exposure, and that exposure needs to be continuous to achieve the control of the species. Meanwhile, the MXD-100™ treatment presented several effects during the first 24 h, showing acute toxicity in a shorter period of time.

What we know and don’t know about the invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei

What we know and don’t know about the invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei

Integrative taxonomy and biogeographic affinities of the first freshwater sponge and mollusc association discovered in tropical Asia

Diverse associations of freshwater sponges with molluscs were recently described from the Xingu River, Amazon Basin. However, such associations in other parts of the world are almost unknown. Here, we report on the discovery of epifaunal associations of a freshwater sponge (Corvospongilla, Spongillidae) with a byssus-attaching clam (Limnoperna, Mytilidae) and a freshwater mussel (Hyriopsis, Unionidae) in tropical Asia (Mun River, Thailand). We used this association as a model system to show how the application of an integrative taxonomic approach can change modern views on the taxonomic status and biogeographic affinities of tropical invertebrates in a rather small sample. The freshwater sponge from the Mun River morphologically corresponds to the nominal taxon Corvospongilla siamensis but it is identical to Corvospongilla ultima from the Kaladan River, western Myanmar, based on the sequences of five DNA markers and the PTP species delimitation modeling. Hence, the first species is considered here to be a junior synonym of C. ultima. Conversely, the Limnoperna clam from the Mun River is found to be distant phylogenetically from the invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei based on the sequences of three DNA markers. We therefore restore Limnoperna siamensis stat. rev. as a valid species. Our time-calibrated multi-locus phylogeny reveals that the split between L. siamensis and L. fortunei most likely occurred at the Miocene—Pliocene boundary. Finally, the freshwater mussel Hyriopsis khoratensis is an abundant species endemic to the Mun River. Our novel data highlight that associations of freshwater sponges with bivalves are present in Asia but were historically overlooked there and that the Mekong's sponge-mollusc association can be considered analogous to those discovered in South America.

Effects of ultrasound on invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei mortality and tissue lesions

Biofouling by the invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei deleteriously affects artificial water systems, but few effective, environmentally friendly antifouling strategies exist. We propose ultrasound for control of this invasive mussel and report minimum exposure times to kill juveniles and adults at ultrasonic powers ranging 300–600 W from a fixed distance of 8.5 cm. Analysis using a PMA + RT-qPCR assay revealed the formation of tissue lesions in response to ultrasound, with gill tissue more prone to injury than adductor muscle tissue. Shell microstructure determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) + energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) is plywood-like, with a thicker shell and increased numbers of prism and nacre layers in adult mussels that provide greater resistance to ultrasound, reducing mortality and tissue lesions. Our results suggest L. fortunei biomass could be effectively reduced by ultrasound, especially for early life-history stages without, or with only immature shells.

The invasive freshwater bivalve Limnoperna fortunei in South America: multiannual changes in its predation and effects on associated benthic invertebrates

The invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei is known to strongly affect benthic communities in South American freshwaters, but the evolution of these effects after the early invasion stages is poorly understood. Using predator exclusion (covered with 15- and 40-mm meshes) and inclusion (unprotected) substrates, we investigated the interaction between golden mussels and benthic invertebrate communities at different levels of exposure to predators in the Parana River delta. Colonization of the substrates was largely dominated by the mussels. Oligochaeta, Nematoda, and Hirudinea were the most abundant accompanying groups, while Rotifera, Tardigrada, Copepoda, Cladocera, Chironomidae, Gastropoda, Hydracarina, Amphipoda, and nauplii appeared sporadically. Regardless of their different trophic modes and functional attributes, the numbers and biomass of associated invertebrates were not only enhanced by protection against predators, but also by the presence of mussel colonies. Enhancement of invertebrate densities associated with mussel colonies was higher on unprotected than protected substrates, suggesting that invertebrate facilitation increases with increasing predation pressure. Comparisons with a similar study carried out a decade earlier suggest that, after two decades of invasion, the reproductive potential of the mussel, the predation pressure on its colonies, and its facilitation effects on other invertebrates have increased in the Parana River delta.

Impact of multiple anthropogenic stressors on freshwater: how do glyphosate and the invasive mussel Limnoperna fortunei affect microbial communities and water quality?

The study of the joint effect of multiple anthropogenic stressors is important because the emerging consequences are often unpredictable on the basis of knowledge of single effects. We explored the joint impact of glyphosate and the invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei on freshwater phytoplankton, bacterioplankton and periphyton, and on the physical and chemical properties of the water. We manipulated both stressors simultaneously in a 25-day experiment using outdoor mesocosms; we assayed technical-grade glyphosate acid at four concentrations: 0, 1, 3 and 6 mg gly L(−1) under scenarios with and without mussels. The addition of the glyphosate significantly increased total phosphorus according to the concentration used; the high clearance rate of L. fortunei significantly decreased phytoplanktonic abundance leading to low values of turbidity. The mussel significantly stimulated the development of filamentous green algae (metaphyton). Interestingly, the combined effect revealed that L. fortunei accelerated the dissipation of glyphosate, which showed a 4-fold decrease in its half-life; this promoted the rapid bioavailability of glyphosate-derived phosphorus in the water. The interaction had a synergistic effect on soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations and was directly dependent on the concentration of glyphosate. A synergistic effect was also observed on bacterioplankton, water turbidity and metaphyton, thus inducing enhanced and rapid eutrophication. The ability of mussels to reduce glyphosate in water may be valued as positive, but our results allow us to predict that the invasion of Limnoperna fortunei in natural freshwater systems contaminated by glyphosate will accelerate the negative impact of the herbicide associated with eutrophication.

Abiotic factors controlling the establishment and abundance of the invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei

Limnoperna fortunei (Bivalvia, Mytilidae), a freshwater bivalve native to Southern Asia, has been an invasive species in South America since 1991. It spread upstream in the La Plata basin reaching the Paraguay River in the vicinity of the Pantanal wetland, Brazil, around 1998. The role of abiotic factors in controlling establishment and abundance of this species is not well known, making projections of its risk of further spread difficult. This study evaluates the importance of abiotic factors to L. fortunei populations established in rivers of the Pantanal, focusing on larval and juvenile densities and taking advantage of a wide range of seasonal variability in water temperature, flow, dissolved oxygen, and suspended material. Temperature, river stage (influencing several water characteristics) and water velocity are the main variables related to the larval and juvenile densities. In the Pantanal, environmental variables vary over a broader range compared with other South American locations, subjecting L. fortunei to oxygen depletion, low calcium, low pH, and high water velocity and suspended solids, associated with low chlorophyll a concentrations. The combined effect of several of these conditions may explain the relatively low densities in some Pantanal sites. However, they probably will not prevent the persistence of populations in the Pantanal and the eventual establishment of viable populations in upriver systems connected to the Pantanal. These results are pertinent not only to this species but also to other aquatic invasive invertebrates whose expansion may be limited by thermal extremes, episodic oxygen depletion, and waters that are too dilute or acidic for optimal biocalcification.

Forecasting the expansion of the invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei in Brazilian and North American rivers based on its occurrence in the Paraguay River and Pantanal wetland of Brazil

Forecasting the expansion of the invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei in Brazilian and North American rivers based on its occurrence in the Paraguay River and Pantanal wetland of Brazil